Copepod tank question

[Heatherabel3]

My husband had a little 3 gallon tank he had at work on his desk that he just had little glow fish in. He brought it home today to put in the kids little glow fish tank because he just didn't want to deal with them anymore.
My question is, is a 3 gallon tank big enough to start a small copepod or brine shrimp breeding tank? I know it probably won't make enough to feed mandarin or anything, but just for having fresh live food on hand?

[ichthyogeek]

Yup! It's definitely big enough! You can culture amphipods, copepods, or brine shrimp. Of course, the cultures have different pros and cons.
Amphipods: Use for fish with larger mouths, like clownfish or wrasses. Best for smaller benthic predators.
Copepods: Use for fish with tiny mouths, like possum wrasses, leopard wrasses, or mandarins. Best for smaller benthic predators with small mouths.
Brine Shrimp:Use for any fish. Most fish will go after them vigorously after figuring out that they're food. Use for planktivorous species.

Personally, I'd choose amphipods, as you just chuck rubble in there, add seaweed sheets or some form of fish food, and check water parameters daily for fluctuations, fixing as needed. Since these are inverts, remember to drip acclimate all water (well, maybe not for brine shrimp).

[smedlin]

Can ya do more than one of those at the same time?

[MondoBongo]

certainly. i actually culture mine in old plastic bottles, or the large pretzel jugs from costco.

as for the brine shrimp, they work best in a vessel that narrows as it goes towards the bottom, so that there are no dead spaces for them to sit in. for this i use two plastic 20oz soda bottles. i cut the bottom off one, and the top off the other. invert the top (with lid screwed on) in to the bottom as it's base, and there you go.